Automatic safety sash latch



Feb. 7, 1967 2. RUCHIN AUTOMATIC SAFETY SASH LATCH INVENTOR.

Z/Z/V ZUCHJ/V' United States PatentOfiice 3,392,955 Patented 1F eh. 7, 196:7

3,302,966 AUTOMATIC SAFETY SASH LATCH Zan Ruchin, E. 41st'St;,Bayonne,'N.J. 07002 Filed Mar. 9, 1965, Sen N0.43 8,188

4 Claims. (Cl. 292228) This invention relates to sash locks forattachment to double hung windows. The distinctive feature of thisinvention is the automatic lock unit which makes unnecessary anadditional operation to lock the sash, once it has been closed. Also,the sash lock may be adjusted to permit the bottom sash to be openedslightly for ventilation, or the bottom sash may be closed and the uppersash opened slightly for ventilation, or by additional adjustment of thesash lock, both sashes may be slightly opened, top and bottom, forimproved ventilation, by permitting air to circulate within the room.

With the sash locks in lock position, two sash locks are recommended forbalanced operation and added safety, it is impossible to move thesashes. With the sash locks adjusted for ventilation, it is impossibleto move the sashes beyond the position for which the sash locks havebeen set, except to close and lock them. The sash locks aretamper-proof, due to their unexposed positions at the extreme sides'ofthe sash, and particularly because of a fiat spring attached to thebottom of the upper sash bar, which discourages any attempt to releasethe locking bracket firmly wedged under a stop block, to be explained indetail in the following paragraphs.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective front view of the invention in place on awindow sash. Two Automatic Safety Sash Locks, thereafter to bedesignated as sash locks, are shown mounted on both ends of the sash.FIGURE 2 is a cross section through 2-2 of FIGURE 1, shown per se.FIGURE 3 is a cross section through 33 of FIGURE 2. FIGURE 4 is anexploded view of four elements of the locking unit. FIGURE 5 is a bottomperspective view of the locking bracket, the fifth element of thelocking unit. FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the bottom section ofthe upper sash bar.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, W-W represents a doublehung window at the right and left extremities of which have beenattached sash locks. Reference will be made to the left sash lockwhichis in full view, FIGURE 1. The upper sash bar 1 is attached to thebottom of the upper sash by screws Sc, through holes 1s and lbs, moreclearly indicated in FIGURES 2 and 6. The upper sash bar is attachedwith sufficient clearance to the left of the sash to permit the lockingunit, FIGURES 1 and 2, to ride freely when the lower sash is raised.With the upper sash bar in place, the locking unit is next attached tothe top of the lower sash by means of screws through four holes, 4s, inthe base plate shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

The constructional details and operation are as follows: The upper sashbar 1, attached to the upper sash, is a narrow steel plate bent outwardsalong its longitudinal edges at about 45 degrees. Three stop blocks ofsteel 1a, FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 6, are welded at regular intervals alongthe inner surface of the upper sash bar 1, so that the top stop block isset between the upper edge and the top screw hole 1s, and the bottomstop block slightly above the bottom screw hole lbs, FIG- URES 2 and 6.

A Phosphor bronze flat spring 1b, FIGURE 6, is welded at its upperportion to the bottom of the upper sash bar 1, just below the bottomstop block In. The

bottom screw'hole lbs passes thro'ughthe upper portion of theflatspringwhosebottom portion is free and is bent outwards slightly beyondthe angled edges of the upper sash bar. The purpose of the flat springis to prevent a thin piece of metal, such as a knife blade, from beinginserted between the sashes, in closed position, and between the lockingunit and upper sash bar, for the purpose of disengaginglthe tongue 2a oflocking bracket 2, FIGURE 2, for forced entry.

The locking unit which is attached to the top of the lower sash iscomprised of the following elements:

A base plate 4, FIGURE 4, is perforated by four screw holes 4s, alongtwo opposite edges, and is bent at two corners along edge 4e to form twosmall brackets 4a, perforated 40, to receive a pin 4b. Welded to thebase plate 4 is the base bracket 3, in the manner shown in FIGURES 1, 2and 3. The base bracket is perforated by a rectangular hole 3s toreceive the Phosphor bronze spring 2b, attached to the bottom of thelocking bracket 2, FIGURES 5 and 2, which rests on the base bracket.Locking bracket 2 rotates about the pin 4b, FIGURES 1, 2 and 3. Lockingtongue 2a, FIGURES 2 and 5, on the upper edge of locking bracket 2,snaps under the stop blocks 1a on the upper sash bar 1, and serves tolock the sash at any one of three positions, FIGURES 1 and 2. Slidingelement 5, FIGURES 3 and 4, is welded to the vertical section of basebracket 3. It is a short section of steel, bent inwards about 45 degreesat its two vertical edges and serves to guide the locking unit up anddown the length of the upper sash bar 1.

The rectangular hole Sr in base bracket 3, FIGURE 4, in receiving thePhosphor bronze spring 2b, FIGURE 2, makes it possible to disengagelocking bracket 2 from the stop blocks 1a, so that the locking bracketrests flat upon base bracket 3. Phosphor bronze spring 2b may beattached at its forward to the under side of locking bracket 2, as shownin FIGURE 5, leaving the other end free to move within rectangular hole3's in base bracket 3, FIGURE 2, or it may be attached at its far end tothe upper face of base plate 4 near edge 4e, and its free forward endprojecting through rectangular hole 33, free to move under lockingbracket 2.

The above description is presented as an embodiment of the invention.Component elements, therein, may be substituted by other elements whichmay perform substantially similar functions. These elements may now bein use or previously invented, but may be considered as being within thescope of the appended claims,

I claim:

1. A Window sash latching device comprising: a vertically extendingkeeper plate adapted to be secured adjacent a movable sash and havinglatch abutment plates secured flatly thereon and spaced along itslength, the opposite vertical edges of said keeper plate extendingangularly outwardly; a spring-projected pivotally-mounted latch elementhaving means adapting said latch element for securement to the sash, andhaving a portion for engagement with an edge of a selected one of saidabutment plates; and a guide plate, secured to said means between saidlatch element and said keeper plate and having opposite vertical edgesthereof angularly inwardly extending for guiding engagement behind theedges of said keeper plate.

2. A latching device as defined in claim 1, wherein said abutment platesare Welded to said keeper plate.

3. A latching device as defined in claim 1, wherein a spring strip issecured to said means and arranged to 3 4 form a bolt guard to preventrelease of said latch ele- 1,092,825 4/1914 Crowley 292-228 ment byextraneous means. 1 1 9 1,208,336 12/ 19 16 Lee -2 292-202 4. A latchingdevice as defined in claim 1 in combi- 1,533,724 4/ 1925 Clarke-James292-300 nation with a window sash and a second latching device 1,762,2806/1930 Slingerland 2927-223 operatively associated therewith. 52,106,142 1/1933 UPham 2,268,766 1/1942 Monroe 292346 X References Citedby the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS N E TA PATENTS 7 205,943 11/1923 GreatBritain.

192,919 7/1877 Hoyt 292228 10 v 922 94 5/1909 Heid v 2 EDWARD C. ALLEN,Primary Exammer.

1,082,013 12/1913 Denison 292228 R. E. MOORE, Examiner.

1. A WINDOW SASH LATCHING DEVICE COMPRISING: A VERTICALLY EXTENDINGKEEPER PLATE ADAPTED TO BE SECURED ADJACENT A MOVABLE SASH AND HAVINGLATCH ABUTMENT PLATES SECURED FLATLY THEREON AND SPACED ALONG ITSLENGTH, THE OPPOSITE VERTICAL EDGES OF SAID KEEPER PLATE EXTENDINGANGULARLY OUTWARDLY; A SPRING-PROJECTED PIVOTALLY-MOUNTED LATCH ELEMENTHAVING MEANS ADAPTING SAID LATCH ELEMENT FOR SECUREMENT TO THE SASH, ANDHAVING A PORTION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH AN EDGE OF A SELECTED ONE OF SAIDABUTMENT PLATES; AND A GUIDE PLATE, SECURED TO SAID MEANS BETWEEN SAIDLATCH ELEMENT AND SAID KEEPER PLATE AND HAVING OPPOSITE VERTICAL EDGESTHEREOF ANGULARLY INWARDLY EXTENDING FOR GUIDING ENGAGEMENT BEHIND THEEDGES OF SAID KEEPER PLATE.